done

I was talking with a friend and colleague yesterday about the confirmation class they are planning this fall.  It is a smaller congregation but they have few students who have shown a desire confirm their faith.  By way of background, in my denomination we generally baptize infants and the around 8^thgrade these children confirm the baptismal vows their parents made on their behalf.

My friend noted that the families of these students are not regular attenders and wondered whether the class would happen at all.  I observed that my experience has been that families often make a commitment the year of confirmation to be there.  And often this includes an agreement (spoken or not) that the student can be done with church.

Confirmation is often viewed as a sort of graduation from childhood Sunday school.  In a way, this is true because (in my denomination) confirmands usually become members of the congregation with all of its rights and responsibilities.  But confirmation is about being done.  It’s a new beginning.

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. – 1 Corinthians 13:11 (NRSV)

I’ve written about what confirmation is before.  But the truth that baptism and confirmation are just a beginning continues to be true throughout our lives.  And I wonder when the last time each of us considered the vows made on our behalf and the confirmations of faith we have made.

Do we consider salvation done?
Have we graduated from intentional spiritual formation?

Discipleship is not a point in time but a journey.  We are continually being saved and sanctified for God’s use.  Likewise, we never stop confirming our faith by the way we live our lives.  We are never done.  Which is wonderful and beautiful.  Because it means there is a continuous renewing of our lives and purpose.  Not being done isn’t a burden.  It’s an invitation to continue walking with Jesus in the world.

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It’s Five Minute Friday: We are given a word each Friday morning and then spend five minutes writing on it.  As a free-write, there is no editing or over-thinking.  You can find more posts on this week’s word here.

I hope you consider checking out my new book:

Prayers for the People: Scripturally Based Prayers for WorshipPrayers for the People is a collection of prayers for worship. These prayers offer the worshipping community fresh perspectives for praying the words of Scripture, using current language and references. Cross-referenced to the Revised Common Lectionary, pastors seeking to lead their people in prayer have found a relevant and beautiful source for worship planning.